ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The crew aboard Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf returned Tuesday to their homeport in Alameda following a nearly 90-day deployment to the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California where crewmembers participated in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018, the world's largest multinational naval exercise.
Bertholf crewmembers executed and assisted in several boardings, humanitarian response scenarios and war-at-sea exercises during RIMPAC which were designed to strengthen international relations with allied navies. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships and five submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC.
Bertholf served as the task force commander for the multi-national, Combined Task Force (CTF) 175, which included naval units from Japan, the Philippines, Peru and France.
"The crew performed superbly, and we were able to show our Coast Guard skills with navies from around the pacific," said Capt. John Driscoll, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf.
The Bertholf crew sailed to San Diego following RIMPAC to conduct Tailored Ship's Training Availability which assessed the crew's capabilities and operational readiness through testing and evaluation. During TSTA, the crew executed engineering, medical, damage control, navigation, force protection and combat systems oriented drills and exercises.
Bertholf is a 418-foot National Security Cutter and one of four NSCs homeported in Alameda. NSCs are designed to patrol the open ocean and serve as a command and control center for complex law enforcement, defense and national security missions. The NSCs displace 4,500 tons with a full load, have a range of 12,000 miles and can endure up to 90-day patrol cycles. The cutters feature advanced command, control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, aviation support facilities and a stern cutter boat launch.
